Councilmember Ramon Llanos being sworn in to office November 2019
Councilmember Ramon Llanos to Vacate Seat Creating Vacancy on the City Council
Councilmember Ramon Llanos has informed the City that he will be moving outside the City limits at the end of November 2020 and will no longer be able to serve as a City Councilmember effective November 30th. This creates a vacancy on the Ferndale City Council that could be filled as early as Dec. 7th or decided at a later point.
When a vacancy occurs on the City Council, the Council solicits applications for interested members of the public willing to serve and then selects one of those applicants to serve. The appointed member would serve until the 2021 election results are certified at the end of November.
The City Council will meet and discuss the timeline, process and application materials at their November 16th council meeting starting at 6pm. Application materials will be available on the City website the following day.
Ferndale City Council Seeks Members for Equity Advisory Committee
At their last council meeting, the Ferndale City Council formed an advisory committee to make recommendations to elected officials and city staff relating to issues of equity. The seven-member board, called the Equity Advisory Committee, is seeking members from the public to serve.
The committee’s goals are to help the city attract diverse and well-qualified staff, facilitate trainings and educational opportunities around race and equity, and “research ways to increase equity in regard to housing, land use, hiring, policing, mental health, transportation, accessibility, systemic poverty, aging populations, racial and non-racial cultural divisions and more to find policy-based solutions.”
Councilmember Ali Hawkinson was the primary sponsor of the new advisory board. “We want this to be a committee of individuals that truly care about the well-being of their neighbors,” said Hawkinson. “We want to be a city that works to address the many inequities that exist in Ferndale, and that starts with accountability and transparency. This board is a great vehicle for that.”
Requirements to serve on the board include, “a demonstrated interest in, and knowledge and support of equity and diversity” and need to have lived in the Ferndale School District for at least one year. Interested members of the public should fill out an application and send it in to City Clerk Susan Duncan at susanduncan@cityofferndale.org.
The public is invited to attend a Veterans Day Ceremony hosted by the American Legion Kulshan Post 154 and the City of Ferndale on Weds. Nov. 11th, at 11am at Griffintown Park (5786 Second Avenue), next to the flag poles.
The ceremony will include a brief speech by Lieutenant Colonel James (Jim) McKinney. McKinney served as a US Army Foreign Area Officer with over 30 years in the service, overseeing combat operations and counter-terrorism efforts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Mayor Greg Hansen will be on hand to lay a wreath at the memorial flag poles, Commander Robert Lyles and Adjutant Tom Darling will be in attendance to share the Story of the Poppies and a Reading of Flanders Field. Chaplain Donna Trecker will be providing the invocation.
Social distancing protocol and mask use required.
For more information, please contact Communication Officer Riley Sweeney at (360) 685-2353 or rileysweeney@cityofferndale.org
This document is an initial draft, initially uploaded on October 28th, 2020 and will continue to be updated as part of the budgeting process until it is approved by Council before the end of 2020.
Front Row: Councilmembers Paul Shuey, Herb Porter, Kate Bishop and Ramon Llanos.
Back Row: Councilmembers Ryan O’Larey, Erin Gunter, Mayor Greg Hansen and Councilmember Ali Hawkinson
City Council Passes Unanimous Resolution in favor of Ferndale School Levy
Last night, the Ferndale City Council passed a unanimous resolution in favor of the Ferndale School District Programs and Operations Levy.
The resolution, introduced by Councilmembers Ryan O’Larey and Erin Gunter, strongly endorses an “approved” vote for the Levy because, “Voting to approve the replacement levy will continue to provide funding for the much-needed support staff, counselors, paraeducators, extracurricular activities, and so much more. Ferndale students benefit intellectually,emotionally, and physically when these are funded.”
Ballots are due Nov. 3rd, 2020 by 8PM. Voters are encouraged to utilize the convenient ballot drop box located in the parking lot adjacent to Ferndale City Hall and the Ferndale Library.
Today we honor our friends and neighbors, the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe as we celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day. We acknowledge the courage and resilience of those who have lived on this land since time immemorial and urge everyone to dig deep and explore history that has been ignored for far too long
Tonight, at 5:00PM is the first 2021 Budget Workshop with the Ferndale City Council. Staff and council will be reviewing several of the city funds that have little volatility but are an essential part of the city budget.
The public is invited to tune in – the proceedings, like all council meetings, will be livestreamed through Microsoft Teams. No download is necessary to watch, simply click here and it will go live at 5pm.
Here are the documents provided to the council in advance of the meeting. They can also be found on the City’s 2021 Budget page:
For the young, and the young-at-heart, enjoy this Virtual Touch-a-Truck where Bo and our Public Works team shows off some of the equipment they use to maintain and repair our city.
The Whatcom County Health Department has two brand new programs to assist with rent payments for those impacted by COVID-19. We urge all residents who need the assistance to reach out early to ensure they can stay in their homes.
The City of Ferndale, in collaboration with Whatcom County, other local cities and the Port of Bellingham has secured over $230,000 for 29 businesses in Ferndale. These resources are part of the Whatcom REstart grants, where local jurisidictions pooled their federal funds from the CARES act passed in the initial outbreak of COVID-19.
Grant applications were received from every city and town in Whatcom County, and an intentional effort was made to ensure that the recipients were also representative of the county by geography and industry.
Approximately $440,000 was allocated to businesses in unincorporated Whatcom County. A full list of the recipients and the amounts awarded will be made available on the Whatcom ReStart webpage.
“We are a resilient community. When we get knocked down, we don’t complain, we get back up and try again,” said Ferndale Mayor Greg Hansen. “With these resources, I believe our businesses can come back after this crisis better and stronger than before.”
The grants are only eligible to cover specific expenses. The list of eligible expenses is limited by conditions under which CARES Act funds are distributed. Eligible expenses include but are not limited to: rent, ordinary loan payments, employee wages and benefits, typical operating costs and COVID-19-related public health measures.
“We’ve only been able to fund about 40%of the applicants, and that’s frustrating, because we see so many businesses and their employees impacted by this crisis,” said Gina Stark, Economic Development Project Manager at the Regional Economic Partnership. “We hope that those of you who we were not able to assist at this time will continue to adapt and to make things work.”
In addition to these business and economic response efforts, CARES Act funding has also been dedicated to support the public emergency response, food and housing security, childcare services, and services and facilities to those living unsheltered.
